


Sharp Recall

by JantoJones



Series: Further Brief Briefings [26]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 07:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17340875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JantoJones/pseuds/JantoJones
Summary: A knife brings the past back to Illya





	Sharp Recall

A bright shard of early morning sunlight lanced through the window of the museum and flashed from the highly polished gold blade which was being wielded by Illya Kuryakin. He held the ruby encrusted hilt in a reverse grip, so that the blade pointed down from his fist and enabled a slashing motion. Swiping it through the air a few times, Illya looked every bit the lethal assassin he had often been.

He was hurrying between the exhibits of international swords and daggers when his attention had been entirely arrested by kinjal knife, and he come to an abrupt halt in front of it. The gold and rubies made it far more ornate than any he’d seen before, but its double-edged shape was unmistakable.

Memories came to the surface of his mind of a time long ago. When he was young, he had become acquainted with a group of Cossacks and they had shown him how to use a blade to a deadly degree. Initially, the way they could attack and defend using one simple piece of metal had been a wonder to young Illya; especially the way they combined it with exceptional physical prowess. Naturally, with his innate athleticism, Illya had taken to it like a duck to water. The skills he had learned from the Cossacks had proven useful to him many times in the intervening years; saving his life on many occasions.

The knife he was currently holding was purely ceremonial, and had probably never seen a fight, let alone drawn blood. However, an experimental touch of one of the cutting edges, causing blood to leak from his thumb, was enough to tell Illya it combat ready. A smile appeared on his face which was a strange mix of terrifyingly joyful.

“Any chance you could finish this rescue?” asked Napoleon Solo, who was tied to a pillar near to where Illya had found the knife.

“Sorry, Napoleon,” Illya said, coming back to the present. “I apologise for being distracted so easily.”

“I can just about understand why,” Solo replied with a chuckle, as Illya used the knife to cut him free. “Still, I’d prefer we didn’t hang around here for too long.”

As soon as Napoleon was free he started to make his way towards the exit. He stopped suddenly and turned round in time to see Illya tucking the kinjal into his belt.

“It’s not yours, Tovarisch,” he warned.

“Muscle memory?” Illya tried, before reluctantly replacing the knife where it belonged.

He was one of the good guys after all.


End file.
